Conveyer for use in mines.



F. BILLINGS.

GONVEYER FOR USE IN MINES.

APPLIOATION FILED 111111.10, 1910.

Patented June 18, 1912.

2 SHBETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PMNOGRAPH CO..WASH1NOTON. n.c.

P. BILLINGS.

CONVEYER FOR USE IN MINES. -APPLIUATION FILED MAn.1o,'1e1o.

Patented June 18, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

In U en o 71 M @l lter 762 COLUMBIA nmoaum c s 'rr r rre.

CONVEYER FOR USE IN IVIINES.

Speeicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1912.

Application filed March 10, 1910. Serial No. 548,467.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK BrLLrNos, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Conveyers for Use in Mines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

rlhe object of this invention is to provide a conveyer especially adapted for use in mine drifts, tunnels and the like, and in connection with a conveyer loading machine, for transferring the material' blasted or otherwise removed from the working face of the mine, into the mine cars. In order that such a conveyer shall be of the greatest practical value, it is necessary that it shall be capable of being distorted or bent, or else it could not be transported from place to place around the sharp curves in the mine. It is also necessary that its delivery end shall be elevated so that the mine cars may pass beneath it. It is also desirable that the whole conveyer mechanism shall be capable of being easily elevated to a plane above the top of a suitable loading machine to be used in connection with it. These and other desirable characteristics, which will appear in the following descrip tion, are attained in a practical and satisfactory degree by the embodiment of the invention shown in t-he draw-ing, wherein- Figure l is a side elevation of the conveyer mechanism suitably supported in a mine tunnel. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section in the plane indicated by line 2 2 on Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of a small portion of the conveyer mechanism.

The conveyer support includes two parallel series of track beams A. The beams of each series are arranged end to end, and are pivotally connected by means of pivot bolts a, which go horizontally through one beam near its end, and through a plate a attached to the adjacent beam near its end.

C represents clamps for engaging with the overhead timbers II which are usually to be found in mine tunnels.

B represents swinging links. which have at their upper ends what amounts to a pivotal connection with said clamps; and these links are connected at their lower ends by the pivots a with the track beams A. These swinging links B are preferably the bent over ends of roundbars, the hori- Zontal intermediate portion of which goes over the horizontal parts of the clamps C.

A suitable conveyer mechanism is movably mounted upon the support described. In the form shown, the conveyer has a frame consisting of two parallel series of side bars J, J,--the side bars of each series being pivotally connected together on hori- Zontal pivot bolts. Extending between these side bars of the conveyer frame are cross braces K which serve to support the upper rolls M over which runs the conveyer belt N. Shafts P also extend between and through the side bars of the conveyer frame. The wheels R are rotatably mounted on the ends of these shafts so as to ride on the track bars A of the support. Rollers Q, are also rotatably mounted on these cross shafts between the side bars of the conveyer frame. rIhe carrier of the material to be delivered into the mine cars is, as shown, an endless belt of familiar form, and its lower stretch passes over and is supported by the rollers Q. The drawing shows, conventionally, a motor S which is supported on the rear end of the conveyer frame. The motor shaft has a sprocket s and the adjacent roller has a sprocket g; and a sprocket chain g" going over these sprockets rotates the roller and thereby moves the conveyer belt. It is not intended that the claims shall be limited to the particular kind of carrier, or carrier driving mechanism shown.

The front conveyer section is preferably allowed to hang down as shown so as to be in a position adjacent to the floor of the'tunnel. A suitable tackle Vmay be employed to hold it at the desired elevation when in use, or to lift it to the desired position to allow the loading machine to pass beneath it. Another tackle W may be employed and connected with the-rear end of the conveyer support so as to be able to pull this end wise. Being supported by swinging links, the conveyer support will, when moved endwise, swing upward to such position as may be necessary to permit the loading machine to pass beneath it.

As the working face of the tunnel is cut away, the loading machine, not shown, will follow it; and the conveyer may be moved along upon the support into proper relation with the machine. The support itself may advance forwardly in sections, by disconnecting the rearmost track bars from the adjacent ones, by removing the rear support clamp Jfrom the overhead timbers, and by then putting this rear section of the support in front of the other sections and properly connecting it to what was previously the front supporting sections, and connecting the associated clamp with the overhead timbers. When it is desired to transfer the entire conveyer apparatus to some other tunnel or drift, the clamps are disconnected from the overhead timbers, and the apparatus set on edge on a train of cars. When curves in the mine track are reached, this conveyer mechanism and the support therefor may be bent upon their joints so as to go around these curves.

Having described my invention, I cla-im:

l. In conveyer mechanism for use in mines, the combination of a track support made up of separable sections connected end to end and adapted to be so connected in any order, swinging links by which said track support is sustained, tracks on said support, a conveyer frame having wheels which run on said tracks, an endless belt conveyer mounted on said frame, and mechanism also mounted on said frame for driving said belt conveyer.

2. In conveyer mechanism v for use in mines, the combination of a track-carrying support, parallel swinging links, to the lower ends of which said support is pivotally connected, means for drawing said support endwise, whereby its height is varied, and a conveyer movably supported on said track.

3. In conveyer mechanism for use in' mines, the combination of suspended tracks, a conveyer frame having wheels which ride on said tracks, conveyer mechanism mounted on said frame, and `conveyer driving mechanism also mounted on said frame.

4t. In a conveyer, the combination of frame sections hinged together on horizontal pivots, wheels mounted on said frame sections, supporting tracks on which said wheels may ride, and a carrier movably mounted on the sectional frame.

5. In a conveyer, the combination of a support having parallel track bars, a conveyer composed of a plurality of sectional frame members which are hinged together and are severally provided with wheels adapted to run on said track bars, and ymeans supporting the iront section of said conveyer frame in any required angular relation to the remainder of said conveyer frame.

6. In a conveyer, the combination of 'frame sections pivoted together on horizontal axes, transverse bars connecting the side members of said frame sections, shafts extending between the side members of said frame sections, rollers mounted on said shafts, other rollers mounted on transverse frame members first referred to, and an endless conveyer belt running over the two sets of rollers.

7. In a conveyer mechanism for use in mines, the combination of clamps for taking hold of overhead timbers in the mine, swinging links supported by said clamps, a track support pivotally connected with the lower ends of said swinging links, and conveyer mechanism movably mounted on said track supports.

8. In a conveyer, the combination of a support comprising sections pivoted together, links pivoted to overhead supports and pivotally connected at their lower ends with said sections, and a conveyer movably sustained by said support.

9. In conveying mechanism, the combination of a sectional support comprising sections hinged together on horizontal pivots, and each section having two parallel track bars, links pivotally connected with the several sections and extending upward and bing pivotally connected with overhead supports, and a conveyer having wheels which ride on said track bars.

'10. In a conveyer, the combination of clamps adapted to be connected with the overhead timbers in a mine, two links pivotally connected with and depending from each of said clamps, a conveyer support pivotally connected with the lower ends of said links, and means for drawing said support endwise and thereby swinging said links and causing the support to rise.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiilX my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK BILLINGS.

Witnesses:

W. A. PALIN, R. G. FLnnTwooD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

